Toddler Trouble
by LeRandomFandom
Summary: What happens when a teenager with powers to make any story that she writes becomes real, and her sister, take an interest in figuring out what it would be like if people from Once Upon A Time were younger? AU where Elsa is not released! Mishaps abound! OC's everywhere, crackity crack and fourth wall breaks!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: __This is my first Fanfiction, so please go easy on me. All of my OC's personalities will be shown and developed as the story goes along. Check my profile for very basic descriptions of who exactly they are. There may be backstory Fanfictions on them later, but I don't like doing backstory so I don't know. That being said, and having the summary already put where you clicked on this, onward! Hope you enjoy!  
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_CHAPTER ONE: IDEAS:  
_-

"Welcome to my shop, is there anything in particular you're looking for?" Asked Mr. Gold, without looking up from polishing one of the many swords in his collection with a cloth, assuming it was just another one of the de-cursed town occupants.

"I believe we're looking for someone, not something." Answered the voice of a young female, coming closer toward the counter. Gold's head snapped up. He'd know that voice anywhere! It was the voice of Leha Ward.

Despite being only fourteen, Leha was one of the most famed people in many of the realms. She had an attitude that showed she knew how to get what she wanted. She was sharp as the edge of the Dark One dagger, too. If anyone needed a plan or idea, they had to simply come to her.

Those were virtues of course, but the thing that she was really famed for was her book. It was a simple leather-bound tome, with blue embellishment along the spine. It didn't have a title, and if opened without Leha's permission, it would appear completely blank. But it was not as it seemed.

The book contained many stories of Leha's, and was enchanted, so she could write as much as she wanted, and retrieve a particular story to view or work on when she wanted to, and to top it all off, she could choose to make anything she wrote in that book become real. That was what made her both so famed and respected, and so feared, for if you crossed her, she could scribble a few words and your life would turn miserable at the hands of ''The Storywriter''.

"Leha! How may I help you?" Mr. Gold asked, a touch wary. Leha was much like him in the way she got what she wanted. There was usually a catch. Then again, Leha wasn't the one he needed to be worried about. Despite her regal image, standing tall for her age, ebony hair framing her blue eyes, set in pale skin, all draped in blue robes, she didn't bother him alone. She didn't get her mischievous ideas without her sister.

While Hope, her sister, didn't have magic, she possessed the mischief and tricks, and was just as intelligent as Leha herself! When the two of them worked as a pair, the results could be devastating. But so long as Hope wasn't around, Mr. Gold knew he wasn't in danger for any stories. He relaxed.

The relaxation was short lived, as Leha answered his earlier question. "Oh, I'm not the one that wants your company!" She turned around, her eyes scanning the shop. "Oh wonderful, my sister is probably admiring some magical object that will get her cursed. Hope! Hope get over here!" Leha demanded. A head popped out from around some shelves full of baubles, framed by long brown hair.

"Relax, sis, I'm just looking at the shiny things!" Hope called back, rolling her eyes before examining a ring on a chain, seemingly entranced with the way it reflected the light.

"Well, since my sister is obviously not going to tell you, I suppose I will!" Muttered Leha, leaning on the counter.

Gold raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what, exactly?" Despite his calm look, he was more than I bit on edge. Whenever the sisters had to tell someone something, it was usually one of thier ideas, and that never lead anywhere good.

"Well, I was bored and looking for something to do." Leha began. "And so Hope came over and we started talking, and at first it really wasn't productive, but long story short, eventually she brought up the idea of turning people from the Once Upon A Time universe into five year olds! Preferably people with magic." She finished, a grin taking over her face.

Hope nodded in the background, reluctantly setting the ring down. "We're thinking of meeting by the old well in the woods tomorrow at two o'clock, along with a few others, which will be the people who are being turned into five year olds, and the people who are spreading the word of what will happen around town at this very moment!" She chattered, becoming excited. "The later group exists because Leha and I hate explaining things." She added.  
"Let me guess, you want me to come?" Gold sighed resignedly, knowing the answer before he finished asking the question. And if Hope wanted somebody to do something, there was no doubt they would do it.

The sisters nodded in unison. "Who better to test it on than the Dark One!?" Leha cried, mimicking the pawnbroker's theatric hand gestures when she said his title.  
"Please, Rumple?" Hope chimed in, giving him her best pleading look. Gold rolled his eyes. That trick didn't work on him, but he was going to accept anyway. It may have looked like a choice, but that's the way it worked with these girls. It really wasn't one.

"Alright." He muttered. The sisters cheered and hurried out of the shop, chattering excitedly. No doubt talking about who else they were going to pull into this crazy plan, the dealmaker thought bitterly. He settled back behind the counter to take up part of the time he had left as an adult. He had a feeling he was going to miss it.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow, I'm actually getting reviews and follows and favorites! Thanks to all those people that did that! I'd like to make a special shoutout to my friends 'Natalie and Jasmine', they know who they are, for thier help with my idea, and them letting me put them in the story! Oh yes, and one last sidenote. That ring I was admiring in the first chapter may or may not come into play later...wait and see! Now onward! Enjoy!_

Chapter Two: The Spirit and A Spell.

Mr. Gold leaned on his cane, his eyes scanning the woods for Hope, who was taking an uncharacteristically long time to get here. He sighed impatiently. "Remind me why I'm here again?" he asked Leha, who was pacing nearby, also waiting for her sister.

"You are here, because like all of us, you didn't have a choice." Came a female voice from behind him.

Gold spun around, raising his hand to fire a magic spell out of instinct, before realizing who it was, and why they were most likely there. "Regina…you're another victim of the sisters' terrible idea?" He asked, beginning to smirk.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am. Hope is following a little ways behind me, along with three others. The dark spirit, Raphael Z. Stevenson, and the two people that have spread the word about what the twins are going to do, Natalie and Jasmine." She sighed. "The second dynamic duo."

Natalie and Jasmine were Hope's two best friends. Natalie was thirteen, with short ebony hair and blue-grey eyes. She didn't have any coordination to speak of, but she had a fantastic sense of humor, and would go along with just about anything. Jasmine, while she also had blue eyes, had brown hair instead. She was fourteen years old, and the thinner of the duo. She was around to reign in the others of the group when their plans got too wild.

Leha's face went up in a grin brighter than the fourth of July. "You say Natalie is coming?! Wonderful! Her humor will be just what we need for the occasion!" She exclaimed, before pausing. "Hang on, you say she's bringing a...Raphael Stevenson? Funny, I don't rememeber hearing that name before. Remind me who exactly he is?" She asked, turning and glancing at everyone present in hopes of an explaination.

Leha sighed, her face falling. "You mean I have to explain things? Fine!" She muttered. "Mr. Steveson is a unique twist on what happened to Rumple after he became the Dark One! While in the show it's simply made out like the power went to his head and corrupted him, Raphael is a dark spirit who possessed him, as part of the Dark One curse. It's unique to Hope's stories," She explained. "Actually rather brilliant." She murmured as an afterthought.

"I'm glad you think I'm brilliant, but can you please refrain from mentioning I'm the authoress?" Came Hope's voice, coming around a tree, along with Natalie and Jasmine, who were talking quietly and laughing, probably over some joke of the former's.

"Can do, sis!" Leha grinned and hugged her sister for a moment, before Hope shrugged her off. Leha rolled her eyes and looked around, before noticing the absense of one of the participants. "Where's Raphael?" She asked.

Rumplestiltskin sighed and shifted impatiently. "Wonderful, simply wonderful. You convince me to come along upon this insane adventure, and now we have to delay it due to a missing participant? Honestly, dearies!" He huffed.

"Go ahead and continue using your legendary temper, but I for one think we should be concerned about the smoke that will rip us limb from limb." Everyone jumped. Regina had been standing silent for the conversation since revealing her prescence to Mr. Gold, but now she motioned to a net of black smoke that crackled and whipped back and forth as if living.

"It's dark magic!" Breathed Jasmine. Hope rolled her eyes.

"That much is obvious, but what is causing it?" She asked the group, her eyes lingering on the Dark One suspiciously. He had done these sorts of things before when he lost his patience.

"That would be me."

Everyone jumped and spun around, looking for the source of the voice. There was a dark chuckle then, and a man stepped through the smoke closest to Natalie, who scurried back. The man was tall, with jet black hair barely showing from under a hood. His reedy form was obscured by a cloak that looked to be made of liquid shadow. But the most frightening thing was the fact that if you looked inside the hood, you could see gleaming red eyes.

"Who...who are you?" Asked Jasmine, being the first to recover the use of speech from the stranger's sudden appearance.

The stranger paused, and lifted a pale hand, bringing back the hood to reveal a grin that was very familiar to Hope. "Did you miss me?"

"Raphael!" Hope cheered. "Awesomesauce on a bagel with cheese! Now we can get on with turning you into little people!" She exclaimed, gesturing theatrically to emphasise her excitement.

Gold raised an eyebrow. "Awesomesauce on a bagel with...never mind." He murmured, choosing to leave Hope's odd expressions alone in favor of getting on with the unpleasant business that had brought him here. "Anywhom, since we're all here, finally, may we get on with it?"

Leha nodded. "So here's how it's going to go down. I'm going to turn Regina, Raphael, and you, Rumple, into five year olds. You will not have your memories of your adult lives, though there may be some occurrences where you have odd dreams, or thoughts relating to them. I will turn you back to adults after an...undetermined amount of time." She grinned. "Don't worry, it will seem like no time has passed at all!" She hurried on upon seeing the displeased expression on the Mayor's face.

"Yes, and we will be taking care of you." Remarked Jasmine, motioning first to Natalie, and then herself. "Along with Leha, of course. If I may ask, Leha, what will Hope be doing through all of this?" She raised an eyebrow as she asked the previously unmentioned point. Hope gave an worryingly mischievous grin.

"Since you all wont have your memories, I'm going to be turned into a five year old with you, and I will have my memories!" She exclaimed, and gave a small giggle. "Now, I think we're ready! Go, sis, go! Use your magic of awesome!" She cried, earning a laugh from her sister, and an eye roll from most of the others present.

Leha raised her hands and closed her eyes in concentration. A blue wispy fog began to collect in the air, swirling towards the four soon-to-be toddlers, three of which were reluctant, and the remaining one was practically jumping up and down with excitement. Leha flicked her wrist and there was a flash, and suddenly all was black.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hey guys, I'm back for another chapter! Inspiration is coming a lot easier than I originally thought it would for this, but that might just be because I'm not far in. Just a side note, I got asked where Hope's expression "Awesomesauce on a bagel with cheese." Came from, and I'd just like to say it's an expression me and my friend Natalie came up with one day when we were bored, and several variations of it may be used in the story. Also, this is where it should start to get funny, unless my mind messes up my ideas on me! Oh and one last thing! Leha/Hope's mansion house will not be described, so you may picture it any way you wish! With that out of the way...onward! Enjoy!  
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CHAPTER THREE: MAGICAL KNOWLEDGE

Hope was the first of the kids to regain consciousness, but she was no longer on the forest floor where she had fallen after Leha's spell took effect. Instead, she was in someone's arms. Well, more like flung over someone's shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but for the now-five-year-old, it all produced the same reaction. She wanted to get down. _Now._

"HEY! Who are you and why do you think you can tote me around like I'm some bag?! This does not fall under my selection of cool activities!" She cried, beginning to squirm. There was a pause and she was set down. She looked up to see Leha's face grinning down at her.

"I know it doesn't, sis, but all the kids are unconcious, all the adults are concious, and we have to get you back to my mansion, where we're babysitting you!" She explained, the corners of her mouth turning down with the realization she was explaining things, to her sister no less!

Hope, for some reason, started to laugh. Leha raised an eyebrow, and her sister calmed down enough to get out a response. "The plan would be fine and good, excpet you said adults. All the people who were adults are kids! The other people are _teens_! Huge difference. Speaking of, where are they?!" She said, all in one breath, while Leha wondered if her sister had ADHD when she was younger.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by an impatient tug on the sleeve of her blue dress. "Well..?" Asked the toddler by her legs.

"They're already back at the mansion, sis. Since I cast the spell, I waited behind longer than the rest of them, to regain my strength." She explained, hoping that her sister would still understand many of the concepts she had when she was older, despite the de-aging spell.

"So...you mean that since you used part of your life force along with the energy around you in channeling the spell - which is really just a spin on threads of magic, which is energy - you were weakened, and you thought physical rest would do the trick?" Queried her sister, taking a criticizing tone. "You know you need to absorb magical power - again, which is energy - to recover from a magic spell! Oh yes, and magic only drains your energy if you were too hasty with your spell, or if you are untrained, which you are not." She remarked.

Leha's mouth dropped open in shock. "H-how...how do you remember all of this?" she stammered. Hope sighed as if explaining things to a particularly slow child - which was ironic, considering their present situation - and crossed her arms.

"Honestly, sister! Was your spell so bungled it affected your memory? The spell was meant to alter the memories of three. It had no impact on my current intelligence, which includes vocabulary, and magical knowledge! Oh yes, and the three others have remanants of their adult selves, along with their dominant personality being that of thier child selves." Hope chattered, getting caught up in the workings of magic. No different than when she was my age, Leha thought with a grin.

Hope noted that Leha appeared to be caught up in her own thoughts, and sighed. If this was how she was going to be for the whole walk to thier mansion, she would rather have just been teleported there! Speaking of...

"Leha, why didn't you just teleport us to your mansion?" She asked, startled that neither she nor her sister had thought of it sooner.

The older of the sisters raised an eyebrow and looked down at her young charge. "For all your magical knowledge, you lack common sense! Another magic spell would have exausted me more than would be wise!" She muttered, privately attempting to get back at her sister's lecture earlier. Hope, however, had a response to that one too.

"For all your common sense, you don't have alot of magical knowledge! I told you earlier! Magic only makes you tired of your hasty with it, or untrained...and your not untrained!" She cried, beginning to get exasparated. "Look, if you wont teleport us there, I will!"

There was another flash, and everything faded.

* * *

-Back At Leha and Hope's Mansion House-

Regina was singing "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman." Again. She had been singing it all the way to the mansion, and now that she had got there, she was exploring and singing it once more. Everyone was sick and tired of hearing the tune by now.

"Would you be quiet, dearie?" Asked an irritated Rumple. "I'm trying to do something!" he closed his eyes and waved a hand, making a cookie appear in his palm. "Now...I just need milk..." He muttered.

The toddler Evil Queen, however, ignored him and increased the volume of her singing. In the meanwhile Raphael was trying to figure out what type of magic electricity was, since he had lived his life in the enchanted forest. He kept flicking the lights on and off, trying to balance the switch in between on and off, and he even teleported one of the light bulbs into his hand in an attempt to examine it. It being hot, he dropped it and it sent glass shards all over the foor.

It was into this interesting situation that Hope and Leha materialized. "Oh god..." Murmured the older of the two, surveying the scene.

Hope, however, flicked her wrist and rose until she was just a few inches taller than the other toddlers, then snapped her fingers, allowing herself to levitate. "Hi, guys! In case they didn't tell you, we've been adopted by Natalie, Jasmine, and my sis Leha here! This house is pretty unique. It has a whole bunch of rooms that change according to what you want, so you all gots a room on the second floor! Me an' Regina will share one room, and Rumple and Raphael can share the other!" She explained.

There were various nods and then the kids went back to what they were doing previously. Leha looked on in awe. "They don't even know who they are, and you managed to explain our living arangement better than I would've!" She exclaimed, very surprised and more than a little irked that her young sister kept outwitting her.

"Yeah, I suppose. It may just be because I'm the authoress, and I hate explaining things that the kids will be so knowledgeable...but that's a fourth wall break." Murmured Hope. "Now...let's go find Natalie and Jasmine!"

Leha nodded, noting for the first time that the kid's supposed caretakers were absent from the room. Hope flashed a grin. "And after that, the randomness shall begin!"


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hi guys! Thanks for follows/reviews/favorites ETC! In this one I'm bringing in a new character, named Brianna, who's another friend of mine! I realize I've been neglecting to say this, but constructive criticism or comments are appreciated! With that out of the way, let's get on to the story! Enjoy!  
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CHAPTER FOUR: RANDOMSAUCE AWESOMENESS AND STRANGE 'MAGIC':

They found Natalie and Jasmine sitting in a room on the second floor, filled with games and gaming systems. Natalie was watching a video on YouTube with earbuds plugged in, and Jasmine was playing the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Wii, swinging the remote around like crazy. "It wont work!" She cried in frustration, as Link's sword refused to stab.

"Why aren't you guys watching the kids?"

The two friends froze and turned toward Leha standing in the doorway, with looks of guilt on thier faces. "We thought you'd be along in like, two minutes, and that they'd be fine until then." Murmured Natalie. Then she noticed Hope. "Oh my god, you're so cute!" She cried, coming over and gently picking Hope up. The toddler squirmed and wriggled.

"Lemme go! Come on...put me down!" She protested. Natalie obliged, grinning. Jasmine was grinning just as much, but she was staying a safe distance away, in case Hope lost her temper and decided to blast Natalie across the room. She'd done that before.

"Oh yeah...and Brianna's in the kitchen. She was up here with us - that's why the Xbox is on and Halo is running - but she got thirsty so she's getting a drink." Explained Jasmine. Leha raised an eyebrow.

"Brianna is here?" She asked. "But this is my mansion, and you cant just..." She sighed and trailed off, knowing she was getting nowhere. If these two wanted to have Brianna over, then Brianna was coming over. "Whatever...let's just go downstairs." She murmured.

* * *

Downstairs, it was even more chaotic than when they had left! Raphael was still fascinated with electricity, this time studying the dishwasher, which Regina had told him ran on the same thing as the lights, and trying to make it work by pressing a bunch of buttons. Rumple had apparently been able to get milk, but it was all over the floor, so he was hunting high and low, misplacing things in the hunt for paper towel, to clean it up. Regina was trying to conjure food herself, but succeeded only in making a bunch of Jell-O appear on the floor, adding to what Rumple had to clean up.

"Can you stop for two moments, dearie?! I'm trying to fix this!" He cried, his voice rising, an obvious sign of a tantrum soon to come, if it wasn't prevented. Regina, however, was getting just as fed up with his whining as he was her mess.

"Shut up, Stiltskin!" She yelled back. "I want Jell-O, and I'm gonna get Jell-O! I don't care how much you hafta clean!"

Leha and her companions came down the stairs and froze, each of them unsure how to approach this situation, none of them having ever dealt with toddlers before, let alone three of them! Well, technically four, but Hope didn't really count seeing as she was acting rather mature at the moment.

Currently, Hope's mouth dropped open. Her eyes went wide. "They're all so crazy!" She exclaimed. "This is randomsauce awesomeness!" Then she paused. "I meant awesomesauce randomness...but okay then." She muttered to herself.

Leha in the meanwhile was on the verge of having a mental breakdown. "Hope how could you call this awesome?! They're making a mess everywhere, fighting, and I swear if Raphael breaks that dishwasher..." She trailed off, realizing that Hope wasn't listening. Rather she was looking toward the far door of the room and grinning. "They're gonna get it..." She whispered softly.

It took a minute for the three teens to figure out what she meant. Brianna was standing in the far doorway, with a shocked yet somehow stern look on her face. She took a deep breath and addressed the toddlers. "What is going on here?"

All three of their charges froze in place, and turned towards Brianna. Leha chuckled despite herself. "They look like Natalie and Jasmine!" She breathed, before putting a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Meanwhile, Raphael was attempting to explain himself, very simply. "I want to know what kind of magic this is." He stated, and pointed first at the lights, then at the dishwasher. Brianna made a face and refrained from bursting out laughing.

"That's kind of hard to explain. I'll tell you that later." She promised. "Now...Regina, Rumple, what are you two doing? There better be a good reason for why this room is a mess!" She exclaimed, gazing at both of them.

"There is!" The young Dark One said hurriedly. "I was trying to make a glass of milk appear, but it went all over the floor, so I wanted to find something to clean it up...but I can't find anything in this place! Oh yeah, and Regina is making everything more of a mess." He glared at her accusingly.

Regina glared back. "I just wanted to make Jell-O, and if you weren't such a goody-goody, trying to clean up for Leha and them, this wouldn't be a problem!" She exclaimed, temper heating up. It was at this point that Hope started laughing. Loudly.

Leha raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you, sis?" She asked the young toddler beside her, who was becoming hysterical.

"The Evil Queen just called the Dark One a goody-goody!" Responded her sister, bursting out into a renewed fit of giggles. Leha sighed. Thank goodness that she was not under any circumstance a normal person!

Meanwhile, Brianna was calming the two fighting toddlers. "Regina didn't mean to make a mess, and Rumple can't help his nature." More laughing from Hope at this statement. "So just stop fighting!" She pleaded. Suddenly, there was the sound of running water.

"What kind of magic IS all of this?!" Cried an exasperated Raphael from the washroom, where he was apparently fiddling with the taps on the sink. Jasmine put her head in her hands for a moment, before lifting it again.

"Do you want me to get him to stop running up your power and water bills?" She asked.

Leha quickly nodded. "Yes...I think we'd best go over a few things, mainly the workings of technology. After you get him to stop, and we get this place cleaned up, let's get them all some dinner, and talk then, sound good?" She asked, her brow furrowing as she made this statement. She was explaining things, again!

There were nods and murmurs of "Yes" from around the room. The agreement was unanimous.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I took a suggestion from a friend for this one. You know who you are. Thanks loads, by the way! Just a sidenote, I didn't expect to update this much. As it is, I'm doing like 2 chapters a day! It probably wont stay that way...but hey, time to take advantage of my inspiration! With that out of the way, onward! Enjoy!  
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CHAPTER FIVE: DINNER AND FAIRY TALES:

They were all sitting around the dinner table, except for Natalie, who had gone home to take care of her dogs. They had finished eating the hotdogs that Brianna had cooked, and now the kids were simply sticking around to listen to thier caretakers.

"For starters, we need to lay down some rules." Began Jasmine, before she was cut off by a young Regina.

"You're just going to tell us the usual stuff, aren't you?" She asked, her tone a bit annoyed. "You know, no fighting, disrespect, mess-making...that sort of thing?"

Jasmine paused and looked at Leha, raising an eyebrow. The later of the two shrugged. She hadn't meant for the kids to be this intelligent! Maybe her sister was right after all, and she should stop being so hasty with her spells.

Nevertheless, Leha was pleased that she didn't have to take up time explaining that, at least. "Now, I believe someone wanted to know what the lights were?" She asked, and smiled at Raphael, who grinned back and bounced slightly in his seat.

"Yes!" He cried. "What kind of magic is that?! You turn it on with that little thing, which doesn' look anything like a wand." He pointed at a light switch. "An' I don't get why it's even necessary! Why don' you just wave your hand and make it light up?" He asked, very confused about the whole concept. "An' don't even get me started on the water-transporters!"

Brianna held back her laughter at his last remark, in favor of attempting to answer his questions. "For starters, it's not magic. It's something called technology. The lights are activated by a light switch, which makes electricity flow through wires, and that goes to the light, making it turn on!" She thought she sounded simple enough.

"What's electricity? An' what's a light switch, or wires?" She had forgotten Raphael had lived his entire life up to this point in The Enchanted Forest. She sighed. Hope, however, flashed a huge grin.

"Let me handle this!" She cried. "Okay, Raphael. A light switch is that little wand thing you were talking about." She began. Then she made a phone charger appear in her hand. "This is a wire." She said, pointing at it. "It runs from the light switch, to the lights."

"Sounds simple enough." Murmured Raphael. "But what's electricity?"

Hope paused for a minute to consider how to explain this to a toddler who relied on magic, before coming up with a suitable explanation. "It's not magic, but it's a type of power that runs through wires, and makes the lights turn on." She said. The toddler nodded, appearing to grasp the concept. "As for what the water-transporter is," continued Hope. "We'll cover that later."

Rumple nodded. "I wanna get up from this table, and do something!" He cried, wiggling in his seat. Jasmine chuckled.

"Okay, how about Brianna, Leha and I clean this up, and we can find something to do then?" Jasmine asked. The toddlers all nodded.

"It appears getting them to agree wont be hard." Murmured Leha.

Brianna shook her head. "Don't jinx yourself. It'll turn bad yet." And with that remark, she got up from the table, and began clearing it off.

* * *

The table had been cleaned off and the dishes washed, but now they were faced with a new challenge. They had to give the kids something to do, before they got bored, because if four toddlers with magic got bored, it was sure to spell disaster.

"We could give them crayons and paper and let them draw." Murmured Brianna, from where she was clustered with the other teens, and Hope, seeing as she had her memories.

Presently, Hope shook her head. "Nah, I hate drawing, especially with crayons!" She objected. "What if we got them into books? Reading always entertained me!" She grinned at the memory of countless hours spent turning pages, promising herself just one more chapter before she went to bed. Leha's brow furrowed.

"That would work for Rumple, Regina and you, but I know Raphael wouldn't stand it for one minute." She remarked, then looked around at the group. "Someone else better have some ideas, or else we'll be done for!" She shuddered imagining the havoc the kids would cause to the mansion and it's occupants if they got too bored.

Luckily, thier problem was resolved. "Hey, um...can we watch a movie?" Asked Rumple timidly. The rest of the group was standing a little ways behind him. They had obviously appointed him as their spokesman. Jasmine grinned.

"Of course you can! What do you want to watch?" She asked. Rumple shifted, before looking back at Regina, silently pleading for her to do the rest of the talking.

She obliged. "Well...we saw this movie, the cover looked interesting. It's called Peter Pan. Can we watch it?" She asked.

Jasmine turned back to the others, unsure what to do. Leha was attempting to hold back her laughter, Brianna looked like she had been slapped in the face, and Hope looked absolutely outraged.

"No!" Cried Hope. "I'm not watching Peter Pan!"

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Why not? What's wrong with that movie?" He queried, eyeing Hope like something was wrong with her mental health.

"It's all fake!" Exclaimed Hope, stamping her foot slightly on the kitchen floor.

Rumple was by this point genuinely intrigued, seeing as how he had no memories of his former life. "Fake, dearie? What do you mean fake?"

Leha nearly doubled over laughing. Brianna and Jasmine looked horrified. They had to stop this conversation, before Hope messed everything up by giving the toddlers memories of thier former lives, or worse, made them think she was crazy by continually referencing them!

"Look, just put all that aside...since we can't agree on that movie, why don't we watch Sleeping Beauty?" Asked Brianna. She remembered Hope telling her at one point that it was her childhood favorite. The kids faces all lit up in bright grins.

"Yes!" Cried Regina. "Sleeping Beauty is awesome!" Then she began a chant. "Let's watch Sleeping Beauty! Let's watch Sleeping Beauty!"

The other three toddlers joined in. Jasmine chuckled. "Alright, let's go watch that movie."

The toddlers all cheered. Leha was hopeful. Maybe they could entertain these kids after all!


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry about the brief hiatus, my computer had problems, so I had to get it fixed! Anyways, I've decided to start doing more jumps of a few hours or some amount of time as of this chapter! I'd also like to ask you to check out my one-shot "The Z Stands For..." because it explains who Raphael really is. It takes place on a separate timeline, when he's an adult again, but anyways. I will start referencing it so I suggest you check it out. Oh yeah, and review please! With that out of the way, onward! Enjoy!  
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CHAPTER SIX: MAGICAL ARTIFACTS:

Leha yawned and stretched. "Just a few more minutes in bed, then I have to go see if Hope's up. Maybe she has a story idea." She murmured to herself, rolling over. Then she remembered the events of the previous day. "Great, four kids to deal with." She sighed. She hoped they hadn't gotten into anything overnight, though by the time Sleeping Beauty was over, all of them except Hope were tired, and she had put them to bed on mattresses in the living room, like a sleepover.

She reluctantly got out of bed and strolled down the stairs, looking for Jasmine or the kids, Brianna having gone home shortly after the kids watched the movie. When she reached the living room, she groaned. Hope and Regina were still in their beds, but Rumple and Raphael were missing. "At least two of them aren't morning people." She muttered. "Now...time to go wake up Jasmine and then maybe she can help me find the two rapscallions."

As if on cue, there was the sound of footsteps and a groan almost identical to the one Leha had made earlier. "Those two." Jasmine murmured. "Do you know where they are?" She asked Leha, which earned an irritated shake of the other's head.

"No, we have to go find them."

* * *

The two absent toddlers were found in a place most unusual for them, especially Raphael. They were found in the library, sitting at one of the tables, their legs dangling down from the chairs. There was a pile of books on the table in front of them, one of which was open to a page that the kids were studying, evidently interested in what they had found. That interest was cut short by the sound of Leha's voice when she entered the room.

"Just what do you think you're doing all the way in here?" She asked them, stepping forward, along with Jasmine, in hopes of getting a look at whatever it was they were reading.

The kids turned around, Rumple with a guilty expression on his face, Raphael grinning. "Reading, what does it look like?" Remarked the later of the two, smoothly turning the page in the process.

Leha did not have the patience to endure much of his sarcasm. "Yes, what I mean is, why did you get out of bed in the morning, without notifying anyone where you were going, go all the way over here, start reading - which is very unlike you - and now why are you refusing to tell me what you're reading?!" She asked, her voice taking on an annoyed tone, though she was careful to focus her gaze on Raphael and away from Rumple. The former of the two had probably instigated this.

Raphael chose to ignore most of Leha's spiel, focusing instead on her last remark. "I'm not refusing. I just haven't told you yet." His grin widened and he turned back to the book. Leha sighed.

"Okay, seeing as he isn't going to tell me anything, Rumple, what are you reading?" She turned towards the second of the two children, who was still looking guiltily from the book to her. She softened her gaze. "Your not in trouble, I'd just like to know." She added.

Rumple was now less reluctant to give answer to Leha's question. "Well, last night, before we went to bed, Hope and I started talking about magic. She mentioned how some bad people use it to hurt people, an' I thought if we used some of that magic, like an item, we could stop the evil people. I told Raphael an' he said it was a good idea..." Rumple trailed off, looking more hesitant now. "You sure we're not in trouble?"

It was Jasmine who responded. "Of course not!" She cried. "You only wanted to help! By the way, did you find anything?" She asked, unable to help her curiosity. Magic artifacts had always fascinated her.

Raphael nodded eagerly. "For a bit we didn't find anythin' but now we gots something!" He exclaimed, pointing to a spot in the book. "S'called the Dark One Dagger. Sure it's evil in nature, but if you have it, you control the Dark One, and it's up to you what you do with the power!" There was a glint in his eyes. "I hear you can even take the power for yourself."

Rumple bopped his companion over the head lightly. "Yeah, but we's using it to help people." He emphasized the last two words. "Power's dangerous. All magic comes with a price. I know that." He recited firmly. "Dunno from where though." He added after a moment's consideration.

Leha struggled to keep from breaking down either laughing or crying. She didn't know which. Toddler Rumplestiltskin wanted to go after the Dark One Dagger in order to help people, and here Raphael was, egging him on! With effort, she responded in a level voice. "So what and all do you know about this dagger?" She wanted to refrain from saying something that wasn't in the book, as it could give them a hint that she had seen the Dark One personally. Sure, they were kids, but they were keen.

Raphael was the one who answered, Rumple going back to study the book some more. "Well... we knows it's a curse, an' that the curse has been around for a long time." He began. "If you gots the Dagger, you control the Dark One." He continued. Suddenly, the glint was back in his eyes as he made the next statement. "An' if you kill the Dark One with the Dagger, you gets his powers." Beside him, Rumple shuddered gently.

Jasmine did not like what the mention of power was doing to Raphael. She quickly thought up a way to diffuse the situation. "Yes, and if this dagger did exist, and even if it was in this land, wouldn't you think the Dark One would protect it?" She asked. "It would be too much for a pair of five year olds to go after."

The two kids thought this over for a moment, and then reluctantly nodded. "I guess we'll have to try for a item with less evil.'' Murmured Rumple.

Leha nodded. "Come on now, let's go and wake the others!" She encouraged them. Rumple hurried obediently, moving back towards the living room with an excitement that surprised the two teens. Raphael nodded and followed behind, though not before eyeing the book one last time.

"Mornings..." Murmured Leha, shaking her head as she continued after the kids. She did not know how many more she could stand.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Sorry for the hiatus! I had inspirational and procrastination problems. Although, not many people read my story so I should be fine anyway. Thanks again to those who do, I appreciate it loads, especially if you still are after my hiatus! Now, onward! Enjoy!  
_

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CHAPTER SEVEN: PORTALS:

Hope and Regina had been woken, the former with a great deal of effort, ending eventually with Raphael dumping a cup of cold water over her head, and then scrambling away from the now wide-awake and very angry girl. Presently, all the kids were seated around the table, eating muffins. Raphael and Hope chocolate chip, Regina blueberry, and Rumple strawberry. Jasmine and Leha were nearby, Jasmine making herself tea, and Leha waiting there because, as she would have said, she had nothing better to do.

Presently, Hope looked up from eating, muffin crumbs on her face. "Guys?" She addressed the two teenagers, who gave a small sign of acknowledgement. "I've heard of something before, and I was wondering if you could tell me about it, while it's on my mind?" She asked, her glance flickering between the two. The other kids had looked up with interest by this point as well.

"Go ahead, kid. If we can answer it, we will." Leha promised. Jasmine nodded, and Hope grinned. She had always been a curious person, even during her real childhood.

"Well," She began. "I've been hearing about portals a lot lately, and I want to know more about them. How are they made? What do they look like? Where can they take you, and are there risks to using one?" She asked the questions rapidly, curiosity seizing control fully now. The teens were grateful for this, because they did not know how to respond.

Jasmine shot a look at Leha, who sighed. "I know, it references their pasts, but we made promise to them." She pointed out. Jasmine reluctantly nodded.

"Okay, first things first. Nobody knows how portals are actually made, but they can come in several different forms." Began Leha. "They can come in several different forms. Ashes from an Enchanted Tree, a Compass, or, the most common, a Magic Bean." She explained. "They can take you to just about any land, with magic, or without." She finished.

"What about the risks?" Hope asked again. Leha hesitated. She knew what the risks were, of course, but with the amount of referencing it would do to their pasts, and what it might trigger, she wasn't sure if she wanted to respond. She never got the chance to decide if she would or not, before Rumple started talking.

"You's can go to where you don' wanna go, or if you jump through with someone, you's can get separated." He informed, before pausing, his brow furrowing. "I don' know how I know that... I jus' do." He murmured, almost too quiet for the others to hear him.

Then, Raphael began to speak. "The bean," He asked. "How does it work?" He looked from face to face, seeking an answer from whoever would listen.

Leha shrugged. "Somehow." She said vaguely. "You don't have use for the knowledge, anyway." She added.

"If we don't have use for it, then why wont you tell us?" Raphael asked, then looked Leha straight in the eye. "You said you'd answer it if you knew, and you clearly know."

Leha sighed. There really was no way to get past these kids, was there? "Alright," She conceded. "You simply throw one on the ground once you have it, and think of where you want to go when you jump in it. There's really not much to say." She explained.

Raphael nodded, and murmured something. "What was that?" Asked Leha.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed.

Jasmine gave a suspicious look, but anything she was going to say was cut short by Hope. "Why are we still sittin' here? We're done eatin'!" She pointed out. The other kids nodded.

"Lets go play outside!" Regina exclaimed. "I saw a soccer ball in the front hall we could take out and play with!"

The other kids nodded excitedly and scrambled toward the front hall, all except for Hope, who lingered just a moment longer. Her, Jasmine and Leha shared a knowing glance. Then, Hope ran off to join her companions.


End file.
